Are you looking for something different than the traditional talk setting in a counselor’s office? Does your loved one have trouble verbally expressing their emotions and thoughts? Art therapy is an unconventional form of addiction treatment that reveals an individual’s inner thought life in association with artwork.
Belonging to a class of Expressive Therapy Groups, art therapy is a fun, creative way to develop social interaction as participants work together or independently on art projects. This alternative form of therapy gives people a chance to express themselves in ways they cannot encapsulate in words.
How Art Therapy Works in Addiction Treatment
As participants engage in art activities, the therapist closely observes their reactions and emotional responses to various art pieces produced by the clients themselves or presented by the therapist, which could signal traces of trauma from their past. Discussing the art project with the client, the therapist assists him/her in exploring their addictive behaviors, the roots of their substance abuse addiction and solutions that will help them cope with unpleasant or unwanted stressors in the future.
Benefits of Art Therapy
Substance abuse addiction impairs the brain’s motivational systems, raising levels of cortisol which debilitates the individual’s perception of stressful situations. A new study at Drexel University shows that art therapy significantly reduces cortisol under high levels of stress. In helping people identify and explore roots of substance abuse, art therapy helps them to resolve childhood trauma and domestic violence issues. Clinical research reveals significant positive results of art therapy:
- Boost of self-esteem
- Decreased anxiety and depression
- Recovery from trauma
- Increased quality of life
- Healthier coping mechanisms
The use of art therapy in substance abuse treatment is not brand new. Because of its widely documented benefits and the acknowledgment of its effectiveness by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), New Method Wellness employs art therapy as one of our holistic treatment programs to establish a more meaningful, healthier lifestyle after treatment.
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From all of us at New Method Wellness co-occurring treatment center, we wish you peace and serenity in knowing that you or your loved one will get the necessary help.
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